prev post
next post
about snfd
Kim and Lauren are the mother-daughter team behind Something New For Dinner. Kim develops the recipes, shoots the photography and writes the posts and weekly emails to our subscribers. Lauren is the Internet marketing guru who developed and maintains our website, leads our marketing efforts, manages our social media and keeps us on track in general.
Together we have created a website devoted to providing flavorful, nutritious meals to share with family and friends. We believe communal meals are the cornerstone for nurturing healthy bodies, promoting communication and developing strong relationships. Who doesn’t enjoy a great meal with those you love?
We invite you to subscribe to our weekly email where we highlight our latest recipes and focus on seasonal topics, nutritious ingredients, cooking techniques and meal plans. Please let us know what you think by commenting and rating our recipes or writing in with any questions you have.
In addition to our website we work with brands to develop and photograph recipes and provide food and travel related content. Please contact us here to work with us.
Handheld citrus press & microplanes
Whether you are baking, making salad dressing or a quinoa pilaf, citrus juice and zest gives food an extra flavor kick. There are two tools that simplify preparing citrus juice and zest: the handheld citrus press and microplanes.
Handheld citrus press
Prior to discovering the handheld citrus press, I was a big fan of the citrus reamer. I used to buy the little wooden tools in bulk and give them as gifts. Then I discovered the even easier to use handheld citrus press. They are made by a number of companies and come in aluminum and stainless steal. The ones I use come in three enamel-coated, color-coded sizes: orange, lemon and lime. You cut your citrus in half, lay it in the press, close and squeeze. It takes much less effort than a reamer and the press catches most of the seeds, all in one step. To maximize the amount of juice, it is important to use the right size press. You can find a variety of citrus presses on Amazon.com.
[content_upgrade cu_id="15680"]Get our free cookbook: 15 Recipes That Will Make You Look Like A Star[content_upgrade_button]CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW[/content_upgrade_button][/content_upgrade]
Microplane citrus zester
Zesting using the old school stand-up metal box graters was for the birds. You used the side with the fine grate, typically rubbed off a knuckle or two, got a lot of bitter pith with your zest, and had a hard time digging out the zest from the cracks and crevices of the grater. Fortunately we now have microplane zesters that do the job in an instant, save your knuckles and create beautiful, fluffy, pith-free bits of zest. Many companies make microplane-like zesters, but the original is Microplane.
Beautiful zest in an instant.
Tips for juicing and zesting citrus
- Wash your fruit.
- If you are zesting and juicing, zest first, juice second.
- Before pressing, use the old bartender's trick and roll your fruit between the counter and your hand, pressing to soften the insides. This will help you get the maximum juice out of your fruit.
- Alternatively, prick the citrus with a fork and microwave for 20 seconds to a minute before juicing.
Zest makes a lot of recipes better
Now that you have a great tool for zesting citrus you will find zest literally adds sext to many dishes. Lime zest makes a big flavor difference in Puamana coconut rice.
